Bristol is First Alaska Native-Owned Company to Achieve Elite OSHA Status in Lower 48

Published: October 25, 2010

Bristol Design Build Services, LLC (Bristol Design Build), is proud to announce it is the first Alaska Native-owned enterprise to be honored by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) for work performed in the Lower 48. The award recognizes the company’s stringent dedication to safety standards during the development of a Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facility (TEMF) for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Fort Lewis, Washington. The TEMF will be used for the maintenance, repair and storage of military tactical vehicles and equipment.

The VPP recognizes companies and jobsites that demonstrate excellence in occupational safety and health. Participants in the elite program “maintain injury and illness rates below national Bureau of Labor Statistics averages for their respective industries.” Acceptance into the program is based on a determination that the best management practices recognized as effective by OSHA are being practiced on a day-to-day basis. These standards include high levels of management, leadership and employee involvement; worksite analysis; hazard prevention and control; and safety and health training. Currently, only about 2,000 businesses in the United States meet the criteria required for VPP status.

Dean Ikeda, OSHA’s acting Regional Administrator, presented the company with a commemorative plaque during a September 17 ceremony, which was attended by members of Bristol’s Health and Safety team, upper management and local staff. “Bristol Design Build has demonstrated excellence in safety and health management, as shown by the outstanding commitment of the managers and the involvement of the workers in the health and safety programs,” said Ikeda at the event.

Bristol Design Build is a member of the Bristol Alliance of Companies, a group of engineering, construction and environmental services companies with offices in Alaska, Washington, Texas and North Carolina. In June, the firms celebrated 1 million hours of accident-free work, placing the Bristol Alliance in the top one percent of all companies in the United States for safety performance.

Bristol Alliance companies are all subsidiaries of Bristol Bay Native Corporation, an Alaska Native Corporation with approximately 8,500 shareholders of Eskimo, Indian and Aleut descent. All members of the Alliance share a reputation for excellence in professional and financial ethics, employee safety, remote-logistics planning, and collaborative client relationships. For more information, please visit www.bristol-companies.com.